Art of preserving and protecting records and the like



Sept. 10, 1935. 5 Q SLQAN 2,013,867

ART OF PREL'SERVI NG AND PROTECTING RECORDS AND THE LIKE Original File'd May 19, 1934 7 mmmw- Patented Sept. 10, 1935 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ART OF PRESERVING AND PROTECTING RECORDS AND THE LIKE Edward C. Sloan, Geneva, 11]., assignor to Jesse B.

. Hawley, Geneva, Ill.

Original application May 19, 1934, Serial No. 7

726,610. Divided and this application May 19, 1934, Serial No. 726,613

. 6 Claims. (01. 18-59) article given and desired physical properties and ties later more fullydescribed, and subjecting showing the idea of preserving any'record bear-J5" the aggregate to heat and pressure to effect the ins r i ch i v a Pri P ur ocument, finished article. writi yped o pr nt d a ter. p o a The thermoplastic substance referred to above pa n engraving, m p, r wspap r;

is in the class ofisynthetic resinous compounds lief, etching y other and l ke' and Simila larly most all hydrocarbon solvents, except the treated in accordance with this invention and g5 solvents of the ester type or the higher ketones, which carries o k d'fi ecord on its surface such as hexone'and butyrone, Inother words, whether it be a printed record or a pictorial the substance used in this invention is chemishowing or aph t s p p du tion or an encally inert to the. extent indicated above; and c a n 0 f r h- 1 J I hence is impervious to and proof against moisvThe record as Shown Comprises, a body I25 30 characteristics, and among the objects of the invention is to provide a novel article of the character indicated and a novel process of producing the same.

The method or process of this invention geni erally comprises the treatment of or application to the fibrous material of the article body and the record borne by itwith or of, a thermoplastic substance having the characteristics and properknown as the vinyl resins of the polymerization, group and more particularly to those which are permanently thermoplastic, characterized by the bond group or radical -CH:CH2, and which are insoluble in most all known solvents, particuture, water, acids, alkalies, alcohols, oils, greases, fatsfandthe like. In its normally pure'state it is odorless, tasteless and colorless, that is, transparent. It is also non-inflammable. It may be given any desired color, or made translucent and the like by the use of suitable dyes, pigments and the like. It is also tough, durable and resilient. It also has a very strong bonding or adhesive property. If a pliant characteristic be desired, a plasticizer may be added to it to the extent of the pliability required. It may be applied in either liquidor dry sheet form. .When applied in liquid form the article may be dipped in the liquid, or the liquid may be sprayed or brushed on the surface of the article, and the liquid permitted to dry until all of the volatile solvent has evaporated. Drying maybe in the air of normal temperature and humidity known as air .dried""or may be in a dry heated fluid, such as hot air or gas or, thedike, known as force dried. X when using the liquid form, acetone preferably is used as the solvent, but it is to be understood other solvents as mentioned above may be used without affecting the idea of invention herein disclosed.

-The body of the article is usually of fibrous material such as paper and the like, although fibrous material of the textile type may also be used.

Other objects, capabilities, advantages, and the like are comprehended by the invention as will later appear. and as are inherently possessed by the invention.

This application is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 'l26,610, filed May 19, 1934.

Referring to the drawing, the figure .repre; sented is a fragmentary sectional enlarged view article, so treated. in accordance with the inven- 20 tion as to permanently and indefinitely preserve and protect such articles. 5

The term record is used herein generically to refer to any one of the articles that may be usually in sheet form and usually of fibrous 1115-. terial such as paper or the like.

On its surface is borne a record I26, such as print, or printed matter, a print, a painting, a lithograph, 'anen- I graving, a photograph, a drawing, and other like and similar records, the material of which has 1 partly entered the interstices of the body I25 and v in some cases partly projects over the surface of the body I25. To the surface of the record I26 [and the body I25 are provided coverings I21 and 40 the surfaces to be covered or coated, or it may be 4 5 used in liquid form. The liquid form oi the I thermoplastic substance may be applied bydipping the body of the article in the solution, or i by sprayingthe liquid on the surface, or by ap plying it with a brush. As the volatile solvent 50 evaporates the liquid thickens and even becomes 1 tacky. Air drying may be used but if desired the coating may be dried more quickly in heated air 'or the like. When the'spraying method is used,

it is preferable to use some of the higher volatiles 55 mentioned'above so that the evaporating of the volatile solvent maybe slower. to air dry first to obtain a removal of the major portion of the volatile solvent and then force dry, in heated air or the like, to remove the residual volatiles. The complete evaporation of the volatiles is to avoid the formation of bubbles,

or the like, so that when heat and pressure are later applied there will be no bubbles or the like to be trapped and thus form blemishes, defects, flaws, or the like, in the covering of the finished article.

The next step is to heat and press the covered body so as to mold the thermoplastic substance. Ordinarily it will be desired to have a glossy or lustrous surface for the coating of the article and to eifect this, the dies will have polished surfaces. In the cases of etchings, engravings and the like, where it is desired to retain the original characteristics thereof, the covering will not have a glossy or lustrous surface but will have a surface so roughened. or formed as to be nonreflective of light and imperceptible whereby the etching, engraving or the like will be visible through the covering with its natural effect. To accomplish this the molding surface of the dies may have a specially fine mat or a sand blast finish whereby the surface of the covering will show no gloss or luster. The dies are heated to the necessary temperature to fuse or melt the thermoplastic substance so that it will be sufficiently plastic or fiuidal to be displaced or to flow to assume an exact counterpart of the surfaces of the dies, under the influence of the heat and pressure of the dies. The dies are applied to the article with pressure and the pressure will assistto effect the result above indicated and also'to press or compress thefibrous material should that be necessary. substance will enter or penetrate into the interstices of the fibrous material to a greater or less extent depending upon the amount of thermoplastic substance used, and if desired the fibrous material may be entirely impregnated or permeated with the thermoplastic substance but in most cases it is only necessary to impregnate the surface portion of the article body. Where flexibility or pliability is desired as would be in most cases of records, a plasticizer may be used to the desired extent of the pliability required.

After the necessary heat and pressure have been applied the casting, that is, the article with the die molded thermoplastic substance united thereto, is allowed to cool while being maintained un-'- der pressure in the dies, the latter also being cooled. In this case the dies may be and usually are in the form of plates. The dies may then be removed. The finished article in most cases has a glossy or lustrous and transparent coating but Y in cases of etchings, engravings and so forth, the

surface is without gloss or luster. The article with its record is thus embedded or enveloped or sealed in the thermoplastic material whereby the whole becomes practically an integral unit. In this way the ,record carried by the body I25 as also the body itself are permanentlyand indefi- It is preferable The thermoplastic heated in any suitable manner, not sufficient to cause thethermoplastic material to prematurely fuse or become plastic before the dies are applied. In such cases the dies need not be heated as much as when all of the heat necessary for the desired effect must be supplied wholly from the dies. The added heat when the dies are applied, will -be sufficient to render the thermoplastic substance fluidal and become molded as described above. In that way a more thorough and a quicker thermoplastic action is efiected-and the time of cooling is decreased. Less heat is necessary in the dies and hence the dies cool more quickly.

While I have disclosed an illustrative embodi- 1 -ment of the invention and a mode of producing it, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto but comprehends other features and process steps without departingfrom the 20 ing covering the record and said body with a permanently thermoplastic vinyl resin of the bond group CH:CH2 subjecting the same to heat to cause said substance tofuse and to unite with said record and body, and cooling the same to solidify said substance to form aprotecting and preserving covering for said record and body. 30

2. A method of protecting and preserving a record and the body bearing the record comprising covering the record and said body with a thermoplastic vinyl resin of the bond group -CH.:CHz'subjecting the same to heat and pres- 3 sure to .cause-said substance to fuse and to unite with said record and body, cooling the same while under pressure to solidify said substance to form aprotecting and preserving covering for said record and body, and removing the pressure. 4

3. A method of protecting and preserving a record and the -bcdy bearing the record comprising covering the record and said body with a thermoplastic substance of a resinous base and having sufficient plasticizer to give said sub- 4 stance a. given pliability when said substance is in solidified condition, subjecting the same to heat and pressure to' cause said substance to fuse and carried by said body, and a solidified covering of a thermoplastic vinyl resin of the bond group CH:CH2 united to said record and body to protect and preserve .the same.

5. An article comprising a, bodyand a record carried by said body. and asolidified covering of a thermoplastic vinyl resin of the bond group CHzcHz and having a plasticizer sufiicient for a given pliability of said article, said substance being united to said record and and preserve the same;

6. An article comprisinga fibrous sheet body, a record carried by said body, and a covering therefor of a solidified thermoplastic vinyl resin of the polymerization group united to said record and body to protect and preserve the same,

EDWARD c. SLOAN.

body to protect 

